A Song of Askaldenfirsts and Dragons. Part six: The death
Chapter 3: Nulara

“Who or what are you?” Nulara asked Ingerbert.

“I don’t know,” the northerner said uncertainly, “I can’t answer your question, Your Majesty,” he added in confusion.

“You hurt him, Ingerbert! When he left Signette’s body and took the form of a ghost, your fire hurt him!”

“Yes,” the northerner was unsure. “Now we can go in search of Arngalda and the rest of our group, if you wish, Your Majesty.”

“You are wounded,” Nulara pointed out, “you need to bandage your shoulder tighter, your rag is already soaked with blood.”

It was still night, and Nulara and Ingerbert stopped looking for the ghost and decided to stay in the forest until dawn.

“I wish some magician could help me now,” Ingerbert said.

“Well, you only have me. Only your queen,” Nulara smiled. He smiled back at her.

She tightened his rag over his shoulder, not wanting to untie it and see what happened to the wound.

“Barnis Provade was an excellent mage! Larmarians like him were more powerful than even the most experienced oldenmessers, not to mention the arqilunians. I’m not sure there’s a magician of his level in Eileenelia,” Nulara said proudly. “He could heal your wound in a second. But he’s dead because of the dragons,” she glared at Ingerbert.

“The ikhagatbers could probably explain to me who I am, because they told me that my cousin Edelmer is a dragon. Perhaps it has something to do with family–"

“You said that there is also his double,” Nulara interrupted him, “another Edelmer, who is an argiphone.”

“Yes, Your Majesty. If I understand correctly, he is the one now in Ermir, and the other was then at the Belt of Twilight with the other snunorfs who all disappeared.”

"′The Lost Heroes of the North′ that’s what historians called them. Although for me it’s too pathetic and vague. For example, why they were heroes? I could never replace the answer,” Nulara said.

“Neither could I…” Ingerbert grimaced in pain. “We have one goal, Your Majesty, or maybe two. To destroy Gaal, and perhaps to destroy the Firsts.”

“There are many more goals, Ingerbert. We need to bring to justice all the dragons who burned Ermir. And not just dragons, but their creators. Yes, the Firsts and the creatures that gave birth to the dragons. I still have questions for the ikhagatbers as well. Of course, these old men, proud that they can say one sentence for tens of minutes or even hours, will say that the ghosts they created have saved thousands or hundreds of thousands of lives, and what is the life of some Signette or Rigfrit or… that other one with brown hair that you had to kill, what was her name?”

“Wendlafa”

“Yes, Wendlafa… But those words of salvation don’t fit at all with the sacrifice of innocents. I understand that it’s better to sacrifice one to save a thousand, but they purposefully, after a few decent ghosts, began to create these vile creatures from murderers, rapists and thieves! So I want to hear how the ikhagatbers can justify to me that there were no other options.”

“Yes, I understand, Your Majesty.”

“I saw how you charred Signette’s head. And I remember now how that dragon who calls himself Frestavisdalor burned a larmarian in front of my eyes, who was close to me, who was like a second father to me. I mentioned his name a few minutes ago. It was Barnis Provade. His body turned to ashes almost instantly, I froze then, and if Eldith wasn’t there…” Nulara broke off, tears welling up in her eyes, and she turned away and closed her eyes. “Yes, it’s hard to blame the dragons for the death of my father, my uncle, my cousin, and Eldith, because the last one died from poisonous spit of yadonagrish, but the dragons are to blame for the destruction of the entire Ermir! And since they were created by the Firsts, then they must answer too!”

“I hope I can help you with that, Your Majesty,” Ingerbert said.

“Hmm, and I think you can,” Nulara smiled, and she looked at him sympathetically. “Can you walk?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Then let’s go, we need to replace our group before the ghost gets to them!”